Latest news with #Comelec
GMA Network
5 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Comelec affirms disqualification of Cagayan governor Mamba in 2022 polls
With just one month remaining before the terms of current local leaders expire, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has affirmed that Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba was disqualified from running in the 2022 elections and allowed Vice Governor Melvin Vargas Jr. to take his place. The poll body, sitting en banc, stood by the decision of its First Division in April 2024 to disqualify Mamba after he, along with Mabel Mamba and Francisco Mamba, who were candidates for governor, vice governor, and 3rd district representative of Cagayan province, respectively, provided financial aid, scholarship grants, and various transport vehicles to the constituents of Cagayan province using public funds during the 45-day spending ban. The First Division dismissed the petition filed by Victorio Casuay against Mabel Mamba and Francisco Mamba for being moot, as they failed to win their election bids. However, it granted the disqualification case against Mamba after he was found in violation of Section 261 (v) of the Omnibus Election Code and Comelec Resolution No. 10747, which prohibits the release, disbursement, or expenditure of public funds for any and all kinds of public works from March 25 to May 8, 2022. Acting on Mamba's appeal, the Comelec en banc said Mamba's duty as governor ''does not grant him unrestrained discretion in the exercise of his powers.'' ''Public officials, regardless of their position, are bound to act within the confines of the law and are subject to the limitations and restrictions imposed by applicable statutes and regulations. The mere desire to fulfill one's duties does not justify actions taken in violation of legal mandates," the resolution said. Mamba will become vice governor on June 30, the day his term as governor ends, following his victory in the May 2025 midterm elections. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News
Scoop
a day ago
- Politics
- Scoop
IOM Doubles Down On Electoral Disenfranchisement In Response To Comelec's Garcia
30 May 2025 Commissioner Garcia rejected the International Observer Mission (IOM) finding of massive disenfranchisement in the midterm elections because there was an 82.2 per cent turnout of registered voters. But the hundreds of failed Automated Counting Machines, the climate of fear through red tagging and actual violence, the fact that May 12 was an unpaid holiday, and the significant hurdles faced by overseas Filipinos meant that hundreds of thousands did not get to vote,' said IOM Commissioner Lee Rhiannon. The Mission Observers reported significant disenfranchisement due to technical and procedural failures. Overseas Filipino voter turnout reached an all-time low of 18.12 percent due to inaccessible voting systems. Domestically, long lines and malfunctioning vote-counting machines hindered voters, while elections were disrupted in places like Datu Odin Sinsuat, affecting over 80,000 people and limiting their right to vote. 'The IOM documented 112 verified cases of red-tagging, and our local partner Vote Report PH received 1,445 citizen reports of red-tagging across the country. These are not isolated incidents; they represent a pattern of fear and repression that deters participation,' said Peter Murphy, Chairperson of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, which sponsored the IOM. IOM Commissioner Rhiannon said, 'Our observers saw that the communities they visited displayed an extraordinary resolve to make their voices heard and ballots cast, despite the many obstacles. We really admire this. Filipinos worked with a flawed process, because the stakes are so high in the deep social and political crisis they are coping with.' On Permission from Comelec The IOM noted that Commissioner Garcia said that our observers were not required to register with the Comelec. 'He is, in fact, right. As a people-led observer mission, we believe that our strength and impartiality come from our independence,' said Murphy. 'We are also very concerned that the European Union EOM, which did register with Comelec and was invited to observe by the government, was excluded from visiting voting precincts on May 12. That did no credit to Comelec.' Rather, the IOM echoed the calls of Filipinos that the Comelec should focus its attention where it is most needed: on the issues raised by voters, civil society, and the broader public. These include persistent reports of vote-buying, dynastic dominance, red-tagging, and disenfranchisement in the electoral process. 'Elections that are genuinely free and fair have nothing to fear from the presence of impartial international observers. We remain committed to accompanying the Filipino people in their pursuit of democratic governance and upholding the principles of accountability and transparency,' Rhiannon ends.
GMA Network
a day ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Comelec upholds junking of DQ petition vs BH party-list
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has affirmed a ruling junking a petition for disqualification against the Bagong Henerasyon (BH) party-list and its nominees. In an eight-page decision, the poll body en banc dismissed a motion for reconsideration (MR) filed by petitioner Russel Stanley Geronimo assailing a May 22 decision of the Comelec First Division, which junked the disqualification petition he filed against the party-list. Named respondents to the case were the BH party-list group as well as Rep. Bernadette Herrera, Robert Gerard Lopez Nazal Jr., and Maria Editha Tan Alcantara. 'Wherefore, premises considered, the Commission en banc resolved, as it hereby resolves to deny this motion for reconsideration and affirms the resolution of the Commission First Division dated May 22, 2025,' the en banc ruling reads. According to the Comelec en banc, the petitioner failed to present any new, compelling evidence and merely reiterated the points he made in his petition. 'To grant reconsideration under the present circumstances would be to undermine the integrity of the Commission's own procedural framework and open the floodgates to negligent, or even worse - tactical, non-compliance,' the Comelec en banc said. 'In view of the foregoing, We find no cogent reason to depart from the Assailed Order of the Commission (First Division).' The Comelec First Division last week dismissed the disqualification petition filed by Geronimo for failing to serve a copy of the petition to the respondents through personal service and for failing to attach a copy of Certificate of Nomination-Certificate of Acceptance of Nomination. Asked if the party-list will be proclaimed following the development, Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said: 'If hindi po makakakuha ng temporary restraining order sa Supreme Court ang Petitioner-Appellant, if ever aakyat man sila on appeal via a Petition for Certiorari, magiging final and executory po ang en banc decision within five days'. (If the petitioner would not be able to secure a TRO from the Supreme Court, then the Comelec ruling will be final and executory within five days.) 'After which, the Clerk of the Commission will issue a Certificate of Finality, an Entry of Judgment and Writ of Execution. Then, proclamation may ensue. Kailangan po munang maging final and executory ang decision ng Commission en banc,' he added. ('After which, the Clerk of the Commission will issue a Certificate of Finality, an Entry of Judgment and Writ of Execution. Then, proclamation may ensue. The decision needs to be final and executory first.) The Commission on Elections, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, earlier postponed the proclamation of BH Party-list and Duterte Youth due to pending petitions filed against them. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
a day ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Comelec starts destruction of rejected Eleksyon 2025 ballots
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday started the destruction of 6.7 million unused official ballots and accountable forms printed for the conduct of the 2025 national and local elections (NLE). Commissioner Rey Bulay, commissioner-in-charge for the Committee on Ballot Printing, led the disposal of the rejected ballots at the National Printing Office in Quezon City . Comelec personnel will be tearing the rejected ballots before their transport to a disposal facility in Pampanga for direct melting. The process is expected to last for ten days. 'Ito ang pagpapatunay ng inyong commission…ng accountability, security, at transparency nitong election. Mula sa procurement ng printer, papel, pag-iimprenta, saksi kayong lahat,' said Bulay. (This shows the commission's commitment for accountability, security, and transparency this elections. From the procurement of the printer, paper, and printing, you witnessed it all.) 'Wala kaming itinagong proseso sa inyo. Mula doon hanggang ideploy ang mga balota at ngayon hanggang sunugin natin ang mga hindi valid na ballots para hindi magamit hanggang kailan,' he said. (We never hid any part of the process from the deployment to the destruction of the ballots.) Meanwhile, the number of invalid ballots increased from 3 million to 6.7 million for the 2025 polls, said Bulay. These included those with tear or smudges. 'Ngayong eleksyon, we doubled from the last one. 3 million lang ang invalid ballots from the last election, ngayon 6.7million. Mas maraming printing, mas maraming error, tapos may temporary restraining order pa tayo,' he added. (The number of rejected ballots doubled this year. From 3 million last elections, it is now at 6.7 million. That is because we printed more ballots and encountered more errors. We also faced a TRO.) The Comelec completed the printing of over 68 million ballots for the 2025 May polls after the process hit a snag in January following the Supreme Court's issuance of temporary restraining orders against the disqualification of some aspirants. The poll body deputized the National Printing Office in January, allowing the use of the latter's four printing machines and two machines procured by Miru Systems Inc. to ensure the "proper, satisfactory, and timely" completion of the reprinting of the official ballots for the elections. The Philippines held its midterm elections on May 12.—AOL, GMA Integrated News For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Comelec division disqualifies Porac, Pampanga mayor
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division has disqualified reelectionist Porac, Pampanga Mayor Jaime 'Jing' Capil in the recent May midterm elections over an Ombudsman decision, dismissing him from service over alleged ties to illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) activities. In an eight-page order, the poll body division granted a petition filed by mayoral bet Michael Legaspi Tapang, which sought to disqualify Capil from Eleksyon 2025. This came following a ruling of the anti-graft court in April, which found the re-electionist mayor guilty of gross neglect of duty and dismissed him from public service. The Comelec ruled that the Ombudsman's decision bars Capil from seeking any elective local position as stipulated under Section 40 (b) of the Local Government Code. It also declared the votes cast in favor of Capil as stray. 'To permit a candidate who is administratively disqualified to run for office would render the constitutional and statutory sanctions imposed by the Ombudsman inutile, effectively frustrating the ends of administrative discipline and making a mockery of the electoral process,' the Comelec decision read. 'The Comelec, as a constitutional commission, is duty-bound to protect the sanctity of elections and ensure that only qualified and eligible individuals are allowed to run for public office. Hence, this Commission must exercise its administrative authority to cancel the COC and disqualify any candidate suffering from the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification imposed by the Office of the Ombudsman, even if the decision is pending appeal, unless judicially restrained,' it said. 'To do otherwise would be an abdication of its duty to uphold the rule of law and the integrity of the electoral process,' it added. Asked about the ruling, Capil said he would file an appeal. "We will file an MR (motion for reconsideration) to Comelec . The Omb (Ombudsman) case, which is the basis of the Comelec case, is not final so Comelec cannot DQ (disqualify) me on this basis. I am presumed innocent. My votes cannot be considered stray," Capil told GMA News Online. Capil has secured a third consecutive term as mayor in the 2025 May elections despite facing controversy over alleged links to Lucky South 99 — a POGO facility in Porac that drew national attention and triggered a broader government crackdown on illegal operations. He garnered a total of 39,939 votes, successfully fending off challengers former Vice Mayor Atty. Charlie Santos (3,744) and Michael 'Mike' Tapang (23,063). Running alongside the reelectionist mayor was his daughter, Jen Capil, who clinched the vice mayoralty with 39,342 votes as against the 25,926 votes of Vincent Lusung, the running mate of Tapang. Meanwhile, the Comelec Second Division has ordered the Porac Municipal Board of Canvassers to reconvene and make necessary corrections in the certificate of canvass of votes and proclamation; and to proclaim the candidate with the highest number of votes. According to the Comelec, voter turnout in Porac reached 84.97%, with over 80,000 registered voters participating in the electoral exercise. The town comprises 29 barangays— the largest municipality in Pampanga.—With Sherylin Untalan/LDF, GMA Integrated News
